Tag Archives: Adrien Brody

James (Hayden Christensen) owes his life to his older brother, Frankie (Adrien Brody) after taking the rap for a crime they committed together.
While Frankie served time, James worked to turn his life around, got a steady job and began courting his former girlfriend Emily (Jordana Brewster). Now, Frankie is released and back on the streets with no money and no place to go. He turns to his underworld connections (Akon) and convinces James to join him in hopes that one last job will be the solution to change both their lives.

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By Scott Mendelson
HollywoodNews.com: Most of the ideas in Tony Kaye’s Detachment are not revolutionary, especially not to anyone who has followed the last thirty years of debate regarding the public education system in America (Jonathan Kozel’s many works of nonfiction come to mind). And while the story is told in a style that sometimes veers in art-house cliche (sepia-toned flashbacks, first-person testimonial to an unseen listener, hand-held claustrophobia, etc), the picture is in the end devastating via its almost objective presentation of the issues at hand. Sure, Kaye is saying, we know that public schools are underfunded, understaffed, and stuck with various federal mandates and (worst of all, argues Kaye) a deluge of unmotivated students whose parents only take an interest when it comes to rebutting disciplinary measures. But told through the eyes of a substitute teacher who is far more caring than he wants to be, the picture wonders why we’re so accepting a system that doesn’t seem to be all that successful for any number of American youths.
The plot is pretty simple: Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is starting an extended gig as a substitute teacher in an unnamed public high school. Through his eyes we see the frustration, bitterness, cynicism, and acceptance of his full-time colleagues (played by, among others, James Caan, Lucy Liu, Christina Hendricks, and William Peterson, Blythe Danner, Tim Blake Nelson, and Marcia Gay Harden). The primary blame is placed at the feet of seemingly disinterested parents, although programs like No Child Left Behind with its unfunded mandates and reliance on arbitrary test scores as the be all/end all judgement for struggling schools, takes their licks too. Yes Mr. Barnes does provide token inspiration to his kids, almost despite himself, but it’s merely because they take his blunt cynicism as a sign of respect. This is, at its core, a character study of someone who has long since given up being the great inspiration to young minds, as well as a brutal deconstruction of that entire concept.
Much of what happens borders on cliche, especially when the film leaves the classroom. He struggles with a student who mistakes simple empathy for paternal/romantic affection, bonds with a female member of the faculty, and deals with a dementia-stricken grandparent (Louis Zorich). But the film works because of the sheer understated power of its frank storytelling. That last subplot plays out […]

HollywoodNews.com: Jennifer Aniston has had a busy social life lately, dining with royalty and entertaining her closest friends for the holidays.
Aniston was recently invited to a dinner with Prince Robert of Luxembourg thrown by Domain Clarence Dillon wines, states UsMagazine.com. Stars like Sacha Baron Cohen, Quincy Jones and Adrien Brody also attended the gourmet event.
And earlier in December, Aniston started getting in the holiday spirit by throwing a party for about 100 guests. She reportedly had her Beverly Hills home decked out in candles and white lights.
Do you think Jennifer Aniston would be a good party host?
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Horror junkies impatiently await the next Dario Argento film the way a smoker craves their next cigarette. But if Adrien Brody has his way, it will be a long time before Argento’s latest, “Giallo,” sees the light of day.
“Giallo,” which was filmed in 2008, was released on DVD. But Brody, who stars in the film as an Italian detective tracking a kidnapped woman, has filed papers in court hoping to stop the film’s continued availability because the actor says producers violated his “pay or play” deal and lied to him about funding so he would stay on and finish filming the movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Brody seeks $3 million in damages, and is “attempting to stop the film’s release.”
The story says Brody was prepared to walk off the set a few years back when he learned funding had fallen through for the film. Producers allegedly made up a story saying financing had been secured, and Brody was approached to sign a new agreement that would allow him to continue working but granted him “absolute right to withhold consent to the use of his likeness” if he wasn’t eventually paid in full for his work.
Guess what happened?
So it goes to court. And Argento’s “Giallo” receives plenty of free publicity. Not $3 million worth of PR, but enough to ensure that curious onlookers will now want to check the film out once Brody is paid and the film is released. It’s an ugly way to get there, but it sounds like it will be a win for both sides in the long run.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: First came “Fantastic Foour” casting rumors, with Adrien Brody reportedly up for the elastic part of Mr. Fantastic, while Alive Eve is battling Amber Heard for the part of Sue Storm, the team’s Invisible Woman.
Now we’re getting word that 20th Century Fox has a shortlist of directors it would like to tap for the “Fantastic Four” reboot, and the name are pretty impressive.
Joe Carnahan (“The A-Team”), David Yates (the “Harry Potter” franchise), and James McTeigue (“V for Vendetta”) reportedly are being considered to direct “Fantastic Four Reborn,” according to Collider. The movie would shoot next spring for a 2012 release.
The site also reports that “Four” would be filmed in 3-D (not converted in post), and that the studio wants Bruce Willis to provide the voice of an all-CGI Thing. Willis has done voice work before, lending his pipes to the animated “Over the Hedge.”
From the director’s perspective, all three of those filmmakers are interesting choices who could put their stamps on “Four.” Carnahan’s likely would be more action packed, while Yates could capture that blend of adventure and fantasy that are crucial to the comic books.
More on “Four” as we learn it.
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HollywoodNews.com: We’ll see if my schedule allows me to do a compressive ‘end of summer’ box office wrap-up, but since summer 2010 doesn’t officially end until September 3rd, I figure I’ve got time. But for now, here is a rundown of the various scenes, performances, moments, and miscues that defined the summer just past. Because sometimes, discussing the ‘parts’ is more fun than discussing the ‘whole’. I’ll try to avoid divulging plot twists and the like, but consider this a SPOILER WARNING.
Funniest moment of the summer: the demonstration goes horribly wrong in ‘Splice.’
No fair spoiling it here, but there’s a moment about halfway through the otherwise taut and terrific sci-fi horror picture where Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley are giving a corporate presentation regarding their recent scientific endeavors. Let’s just say it’s easily the most outrageously funny scene of this nature since ‘ED-209′ told that unlucky executive to put down the gun in ‘Robocop.’
Best moment in a bad film: The action climax of ‘The Last Airbender’
There are no more heartbreaking disappointment this summer than watching M. Night Shyamalan, the man who made two of the best films of the last fifteen years (‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Unbreakable’), completely and utterly fall apart in every way. But even in this horribly-acted, poorly paced, and terribly-written tragedy, there were those moments when you realize what M. Night Shyamalan might have been able to deliver if he was willing to play director-for-hire on any other action picture. Long, fluid takes of hundreds of warriors throwing supernatural weapons and magic at each other, with every bit of it crystal clear and every beat easy to understand: this is the stuff of real movie magic. As bad as the film is, the action finale of ‘The Last Airbender’ is a bravura action sequence that only makes the movie’s failure that much more unfortunate. Ironically for a man who was once destined to be the next Spielberg/Lucas, I today speak of Shyamalan in the vein of Luke Skywalker and Padmé Amidala trying to convince people that Anakin Skywalker still has ‘some good in him’.
Most astonishingly inept technical choice: ‘Salt’s’ theme song sing-along.
I’ve written about this elsewhere, but there was no more head-slappingly boneheaded decision this year by a filmmaker then whomever chose to have a orchestral theme song for the Angelina Jolie spy thriller that literally has singers chanting ‘Salt! Salt! Salt!’ when Jolie goes […]

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Something is afoot in the land of the “Fantastic Four” reboot.
How else would you explain multiple casting rumors hitting the Web within days of one another? Production meetings must be being held behind the scenes at Fox, because as far as we know, the announced project doesn’t even have a director on hand to help with these casting decisions, let alone a firm schedule or tentative release date.
With that being said, who is reportedly in contention to join Marvel’s dysfunctionally fantastic family?
Well, Alice Eve for starters. Comic Book Movie says the gorgeous blonde – who was supposed to be up for Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class,” also at Fox – is being considered for Sue Storm, aka The Invisible Woman. She would replace Jessica Alba, who most recently played Sue in Tim Story’s two “Fantastic Four” flicks. Also rumored to be up for the part, though, is Amber Heard of “The Joneses” and “Pineapple Express.”
Good choices? Sure. Sue has been window dressing in previous “Four” movies, and both actresses are very easy on the eyes. And when she triggers her powers, she’s invisible, so you could cast Mickey Rourke and it wouldn’t matter.
Reed Richards, however, plays a more vital role in the “Four” formation, and Fox is weighing a few good actors (if rumors can be believed). ScreenRant says Adrien Brody and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are vying for the team leader.
While I do think Brody would be excellent as Mr. Fantastic, he did just sign on for Tony Kaye’s “Detachment,” so his involvement in a “Four” reboot would only push the project back further.
Casting is great, but I want to know who is helming this beast. Tone will be vital to a “Fantastic Four” reboot, as previous efforts from Story and Roger Corman (who produced) were more cartoonish than the books. So let’s get someone serious in the director’s chair, so this franchise finally soars the way “FF” fans know that it can.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Even though Rian Johnson has only two pictures under his belt, the director boasts a loyal fan base. That’s because his first two pictures were that good.
If forced to choose, I’d prefer Johnson’s modern take on the hardboiled film noir genre, “Brick,” with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a high-schooler trying to locate his missing ex-girlfriend. But that doesn’t mean I like Johnson’s quirky comedy “The Brothers Bloom” any less. Rachel Weisz is especially winning as a reclusive millionaire who is pulled into con artists’ Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody’s scheme – and loves every minute of it.
Needless to say, Johnson’s a director worth paying attention to, so we’re excited that his next project, “Looper,” is underway.
Production Weekly tweets that “Looper” will film in New Orleans from Jan. 24 to April 1.
The IMDB summary says that the film will be set in a near future, where a group of killers – known as Loopers — work for a crime syndicate. Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis are on board, and the screenplay reportedly involves loopy time travel. We are more than intrigued.
No idea of a release date, but we’ll bring you updates as we get them.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Adrien Brody has accepted the lead in Tony Kaye’s “Detachment,” Which chronicles three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of a substitute teacher.
Brody isn’t the only Oscar winner in Kaye’s “class.” He’ll join Marcia Gay Harden in a faculty populated by Christina Hendricks, William Peterson, Bryan Cranston, Tim Blake Nelson, Lucy Liu, Blythe Danner and James Caan.
Brody will play Henry Barthes, a substitute teacher who roams from school to school, imparting modes of knowledge but never staying long enough to form any semblance of sentient attachment.
Production began on July 25, in New York.
Paper Street Films producer Austin Stark adds, “Director Tony Kaye’s vision of the American public school system is poignant and unique, and we are thrilled to be working with such a talented cast in bringing this important story to the screen.”
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